Drivers for performing various work may be powered in any number of manners, such as pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, magnetic, or combinations thereof. Oftentimes, the drivers for dispensing liquids, such as hot melt materials, comprise pneumatic actuators or electro-magnetic solenoids.
Various types of jetting dispensers are known such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,320,250; 5,747,102; and 6,253,957; and U.S. Publication No. 2006/0157517, the disclosures of which are hereby fully incorporated by reference herein. For many valve and pump devices, the size of the device is important and smaller sizes are typically preferred assuming they will perform the required function. Often, the valve element or piston is directly coupled to move with an actuator such as an air motor or pneumatic actuator, or a solenoid actuator. In such designs, when the overall size of the device is reduced, the forces available to perform the useful work (i.e., movement of the valve element or piston) are also typically reduced. Therefore, the actuator may need to be sized larger than desired if required by the amount of work to be performed. If the actuator is undersized, the performance of the device may be compromised. Direct coupling of the actuator to the device performing the work may also present challenges if the actuator is sensitive to heat and the driven element is part of a heated system. This occurs in the area of hot melt dispensing, for example, where the material being dispensed may be heated to temperatures above 250° F.